Every time I have to clean out the lint trap in my clothes drier I am amazed at just how much lint my clothes can produce. If you carry concealed on a daily basis your gun is basically that lint trap and don’t think that just because it is in a holster that the gun is protected from you, your clothes or the elements. If you can get to your gun then lint, dust and debris can as well. In my experience pocket carry generates the most lint and it gets everywhere.

I once went six months without inspecting or cleaning my every day carry pocket pistol and when I did take it to the range there was so much lint that the gun malfunctioned. This was a lesson that was far better learned on the range than in a real defensive situation. Now I am very careful about regularly inspecting and cleaning my carry gun. Even if you don’t shoot it very often inspect and clean the dust and lint from your gun at least every other week.

The area that gather the most debris are in between the slide and frame, around the trigger, especially where it meets the frame and if you have an open portion of the slide at the rear you will see a lot of dust around the hammer. Another area is the magazine. Just because it is in the gun doesn’t mean that lint won’t get inside and those witness holes on the sides suck up lint. When you do clean and inspect your gun clean out the magazine as well. One fast and easy trick for de-linting your gun is to use one of those compressed air sprayers they sell at office supply stores for cleaning your computer keyboard. Remember, take care of your gun and it will take care of you.